


Dreaming of Your Touch

by 4ce_in_sp4ce



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Confessions, Fluff, I am unabashedly making up how their injures and healing works, I fell down some weirdly specific google search rabbit holes tho, Injured Joe, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Sharing a Bed, and I'm having a great time doing it, crusades era, pining nicky, sorta?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:15:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26054050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4ce_in_sp4ce/pseuds/4ce_in_sp4ce
Summary: Nicoló may not understand their powers well, but he knows Yusuf will be fine. That doesn't mean he won't tend to and take care of him until then though
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 25
Kudos: 236





	Dreaming of Your Touch

Nicoló approached the table uncertainly. His Arabic was still, at best, fragmented, and that was when he was speaking with a very patient and understanding Yusuf; talking to strangers was far more intimidating. They needed a place to stay though and Yusuf wasn’t exactly in much of a state to be talking, so his fragmented Arabic would have to do.

The man seated at the table looked up as Nicoló approached and looked him over with mild surprise, which he supposed was fair. After weeks in the desert and several less than pleasant run-ins with bandits, he was sure he looked quite the sight. “ _Room? For…for two?_ ” He held up two fingers, hoping he could still get his request across even if he’d managed to butcher his pronunciation.

“ _Two rooms?_ ”

Nicoló shook his head. “ _One room._ ” He held up one finger before motioning between him and where Yusuf was propped up against the doorframe, barely standing. “ _For two._ ”

The man nodded and opened the ledger on the table in front of him. He looked back up after a moment. “ _Thamania dinar._ ”

Nicoló frowned, thinking. _Thamania_. That meant…eight? He opened the small pouch of coins, trying not to sigh. That would drain the last of the money they had and he was fairly certain he was being overcharged, but they needed a room and this was the only caravanserai for leagues, so eight dinar it was. The man slid the coins into a small box as Nicoló set them on the table before glancing back at Yusuf with a concerned look. He asked something in rapid fire Arabic that Nicoló couldn’t quite decipher, but he was fairly certain he heard the word for doctor. He shook his head quickly. “ _No doctor. Just room._ ”

The man nodded again slowly, watching Nicoló with slight suspicion, before motioning to someone behind him. A young boy ran out from the shadows, listening intently as the man spoke. Nicoló tried to catch what he was saying, but the words were too quiet and unfamiliar. The boy nodded as the man stopped speaking and motioned for Nicoló to follow him. He paused at the door, draping Yusuf’s arm around his shoulders and supporting his weight as they slowly followed behind the boy across the courtyard. He worried for a moment that they would need to climb the staircase, but thankfully the boy stopped in front of a door on the ground floor, unlocking it and motioning for them to go inside. Nicoló dipped his head in thanks but stopped before he had fully entered the room, turning back to the young boy. “ _Water? For…for…_ ” The boy watched him quizzically as he searched for the word. “ _For…cleaning?_ ”

The boy stared at him a moment longer before seeming to understand. He nodded and took off down the hall without another word. Nicoló sighed and headed into the room, closing the door behind him. It wasn’t a particularly large room, but it was more than big enough for the two of them. It certainly beat sleeping outside. 

He sat Yusuf down on the bed carefully. He was coming around slowly, but if there was anything Nicoló had figured out about their strange abilities it was that not all wounds healed quickly and that head wounds tended to be the kind to take longer. Non-fatal head wounds seemed to be particularly bad, leaving them dazed and confused for dangerously long periods. He gently brushed back Yusuf’s hair, trying to get a better look at the injury now that he had more light. 

Yusuf tried to bat his hand away clumsily. “‘M fine, Nic’ló.” 

“I am sure you are, but I would still like to see for myself.” The wound itself was already mostly healed, which was comforting. Yusuf would be back to normal before long. As it was, though, he was leaning heavily against Nicoló, his eyes glazed and unfocused. “You were quite injured in the fight.” 

“Had t’ keep you safe,” Yusuf muttered. 

Nicoló smiled, warmth spreading in his chest. He wasn’t quite sure when Yusuf had gone from wanting to kill him to wanting to protect him, but he certainly wasn’t going to complain. “And I thank you for that. Now let me take care of you.” He held Yusuf out at arm's length, trying to take stock of his overall condition. His wounds seemed to have mostly healed but his clothes were heavily stained with blood. Nicoló wasn’t sure how much of it was Yusuf’s and how much was from the bandits who had attacked them; he wasn’t sure he _wanted_ to know. No wonder the owner of the caravanserai had offered to get a doctor. “You are quite the mess right now.” He hoped the boy had understood his request for water for a bath; Yusuf could definitely stand to have one. They both could, honestly, but between the two of them Yusuf needed it more. 

A soft knock on the door drew his attention away from Yusuf after a few minutes. He opened the door carefully, hand resting on his sword hilt; caravanserais were generally safe, but they could never be too careful. The boy who had brought them to the room was waiting in the hall with two large containers of water. “ _You asked for water?_ ” 

Nicoló nodded and moved aside to let him in. The boy poured the water carefully into a large basin in the corner of the room. He motioned for Nicoló to wait and ran back into the hallway, returning with two more containers. Nicoló thanked him as he closed the door. He walked back over to where Yusuf was still seated on the bed, helping him up slowly. He stood easier than he had earlier, but he still leaned heavily against Nicoló as he guided him over to the basin. "Let's clean you up some, yes? Then you should rest." 

“Hm.” Yusuf moved easily with Nicoló’s hands as he pulled his bloodstained tunic off carefully. “You should rest too.” 

“I will, but I want to make sure you are okay first.” Nicoló smiled; Yusuf’s caring nature had surprised him at first as they had begun to get to know each other, but it had quickly become one of his favourite aspects of the other man’s personality. Even a slow healing head wound couldn’t dampen it. He was speaking more clearly, though, which was good. 

Getting Yusuf’s chain mail over his head was a bit more difficult, particularly with how much he was still relying on Nicoló to keep him steady, but he managed it eventually. Nicoló tried his best to keep his gaze focused on the floor as he helped Yusuf undress, but it was a harder task than he cared to admit. Yusuf was an attractive man, that much had been obvious even when they'd still considered themselves enemies, and Nicoló had long since accepted his interest lay with men rather than women. He had known that about himself for many years and had mostly learned to ignore it the best he could. That was increasingly difficult with Yusuf though. He wasn’t just attractive; he was kind and patient and far more well-learned than Nicoló had ever expected. It was a dangerous combination of traits, and Nicoló had quickly found his feelings for his companion growing beyond respect or friendship over their travels. He could feel heat rising in his cheeks as he undid the laces of Yusuf’s pants and helped him into the water, thankful that Yusuf’s attention was elsewhere; he wasn’t sure how he would manage to explain his embarrassment if Yusuf had asked. 

It was somewhat easier once Yusuf was in the basin itself, submerged in the water. He sighed as the warm water washed over him and leaned back against the edge of the basin. Nicoló brought some of the water up onto Yusuf’s shoulders to try and start wiping away the blood and grime, careful around the areas where he could see marks from healed wounds. Just because a wound had healed didn’t mean it wasn’t still tender or sore. 

“I had forgotten how wonderful a warm bath felt.” 

“It has certainly been a while since taking one has even been an option.” He grabbed soap and a small cloth from the table beside the basin before going back to gently cleaning Yusuf’s skin. “Let me know if I am hurting you.” 

Yusuf leaned into his touch. “Not in the least.” 

“Good.” Nicoló could feel the burning in his cheeks grow and cleared his throat, trying to think of another topic to turn the conversation to. Anything to shift his attention. “We should reach the edge of the Seljuq Empire soon. We will need to decide where to go from there.” 

“Hm.” Yusuf closed his eyes, his face relaxed in the soft lamplight. “I have heard the Georgian Empire is impressive.” 

“Is it?” 

“Maybe it would be worth visiting.” 

“That sounds like an excellent idea to me.” Nicoló had quickly learned to follow Yusuf’s lead when it came to their travels; his knowledge of the region was far greater than anything Nicoló possessed. “I admit I do not know much about it though.” 

He smiled softly as Yusuf began telling him about this new empire, glad to hear the slight slur behind his words gradually fading. He had thought he’d been well educated as a priest, but Yusuf’s learning put him to shame. He could talk for hours about various subjects Nicoló had barely even heard of, and Nicoló would simply listen, fascinated. Yusuf continued to talk as Nicoló began to wash the dried blood from his hair. It wasn’t a quick task; Yusuf’s hair was thick and his head wound had bled quite extensively, leaving the curls matted and tangled. Nicoló ran his hands through them gently, careful not to be too rough. He tried not to think of how nice it would be to run his fingers through Yusuf’s hair like this normally, when he wasn’t injured. He had imagined it many times, watching Yusuf as they walked or as they sat by the fire deep into the night. Wondering what it would be like to hold him close, to wrap his arms around him, to feel Yusuf’s skin against his. He shook his head slightly, face burning, and tried to focus back in on what Yusuf was saying. Now wasn’t the time for such thoughts. 

He realized after a moment that Yusuf had gone quiet, his head resting against the back of the basin. Nicoló frowned, concern creeping into his chest. How long had Yusuf been silent for? “Yusuf? Are you alright?” 

“Yes, I am fine.” Yusuf laughed quietly. “Perhaps falling asleep slightly, but fine.” 

Nicoló let out a small sigh of relief. Given their healing it was extremely unlikely that Yusuf was seriously hurt, but his sudden silence had been worrying nonetheless. “Well, it has been a rather long day.” 

“Yes, it has.” Yusuf glanced up at him. “You should get cleaned up. I am fine now, and you must be even more tired than I am. After all, you practically carried me here.” He grinned slightly. “I think we will both be glad to sleep in a real bed tonight. I know I will certainly sleep well.” 

Nicoló ran his fingers through Yusuf's hair one last time- to make sure there wasn't any blood still matted in it, that was all- before standing up with a small groan, his legs stiff from sitting on the hard floor. "It will certainly be nicer than sleeping on the ground." He pulled his own tunic over his head and removed his chainmail, kneeling down in front of the last container of water the boy had brought to wash his face and arms. He could already feel the tug of exhaustion pulling at his limbs; whether it was from the fight or from supporting Yusuf’s weight as they made their way to the caravanserai he wasn’t sure. Either way Yusuf was right, it would be nice to sleep in an actual bed. 

He kept his back decidedly turned and his eyes fixed on the water as he heard Yusuf stand up and step out of the basin. His face was already growing red again at the thought of Yusuf undressed behind him, he wasn't sure he could handle the actual sight of it. And even if he _could_ , Yusuf would surely notice how red he was and that was a conversation Nicoló desperately wished to avoid. 

By the time he had managed to get at least most of the dirt and grime off his skin Yusuf was thankfully dressed again. He looked up as Nicoló walked over to the bed, moving over so there was room for both of them. “You look exhausted.” 

“I had not realized I was quite this tired.” He laid down on the edge of the bed, trying to keep as much space between him and Yusuf as possible. They generally shared beds when they stayed in caravanserais, few of the rooms had more than one bed, so this wasn’t anything he hadn’t done before, but he still figured it was best not to tempt fate. Especially not with the image of Yusuf unclothed still fresh in his mind. 

The room darkened as Yusuf blew out the lamp’s flame, and Nicoló could feel him settle back down on the bed. After a moment he heard Yusuf sigh almost fondly. “You know you do not need to sleep that close to the edge, yes?” 

“I am…just trying to make sure there is enough room.” 

“You are nearly falling off the side of the bed, Nicoló. I think there is more than enough room for you to move closer if you want.” Nicoló hesitated a moment before rolling over. He could see Yusuf watching him in the darkness, lit only by the soft moonlight coming through the window. “See? Plenty of room. And this way I do not have to worry about waking up to find you on the floor in the morning.” 

Nicoló frowned, trying to ignore the way the moonlight fell across Yusuf’s face. He looked beautiful like this. “I would have been fine.” 

“Probably. But now I do not need to worry about it at all.” Yusuf smiled softly and reached out, gently brushing Nicoló’s hair from his face. “I realized I had not thanked you yet for getting me here and taking care of me. So thank you.” 

Nicoló averted his gaze, praying that the darkness hid how red he could feel his face growing again. “I…of course.” He could feel his heart beating loudly in his chest. “I simply wanted to make sure you were alright.” 

“I would have been alright eventually regardless of your help, which makes your help all the more meaningful.” Yusuf’s fingers lingered against his skin. “You are very kind, Nicoló, so much more than I ever would have believed when we first met.” Nicoló looked back up at Yusuf, surprised by the warmth in his voice. He was watching Nicoló with undisguised affection. “You have such love in your heart. It is truly a thing to behold.” 

“Yusuf…” Nicoló’s breath caught in his throat, feeling as though he could melt under the warmth in Yusuf’s gaze. 

“Is it alright if I move closer?” Nicoló nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Yusuf moved closer until his head was resting gently against Nicoló’s chest, his curls tickling the bottom of his chin. He draped his arm across Nicoló’s waist and after a moment Nicoló hesitantly returned the gesture, hardly believing what was happening. “I have wanted to do this for quite some time now.” 

“I did not…I thought…” Nicoló struggled to string his words together properly, the feeling of Yusuf’s body against his scattering his thoughts. He ran his hand through Yusuf’s hair; it felt just as wonderful as he had imagined it would. “I have wanted this too.” 

Yusuf hummed contentedly in his arms, shifting even closer. “I think I will sleep very well here indeed.” 


End file.
